The national team began with an impressive 3-0 victory in their debut match in Group 2 of League B in the Nations League against Finland at the Karaiskakis stadium.
In this new era with Ivan Jovanovic at the helm, the team played attractive football, displaying both goals and artistry. Christos Zafeiris, who came on as a substitute in the second half, also made his debut donning the national emblem.
The scoreline opened at 1-0 in the 23rd minute when Galvez’s poor pass to Hrateski was poorly controlled by the Finnish goalkeeper and captain, resulting in the ball slipping from his feet. The match MVP capitalized on the situation, intercepting the ball and sending it into the empty net.
Heartfelt words from our coach! He’s fully invested in Greece as a country and helping the Ethniki Omada reach its potential
— Hellas Football (@HellasFooty) September 7, 2024pic.twitter.com/UpNfUeo9oQ
The 2-0 goal occurred in the 37th minute following an excellent combination play between Bakaseta, Ioannidis, and Tsimika. Tsimika’s pass to Koulierakis slightly deflected off Coleman, resulting in the second goal before halftime.
The final 3-0 score was reached in the 76th minute when Fotis Ioannidis scored an exceptional header from a corner delivered by Bakaseta.
GREECE (Ivan Jovanovic): Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas, Bouchalakis (67′ Zafeiris), Mandalos (67′ Siopis), Hatzigiovanis (46′ Konstantelias), Bakasetas (77′ Vagiannidis), Pelkas, Ioannidis (77′ Pavlidis)
FINLAND (Markku Kanerva): Hrateski, Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Galvez, Peltola, Suler (44′ Nisila, due to injury), Adman (63′ Keskinen), Kamara, Lund (66′ Jensen), Coleman (63′ Pohjanpalo).
